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Spy photographers catch convertible V12 Vantage at the Nurburgring

This is the Aston Martin V12 Vantage roadster, spied testing on roads near the Nurburgring.

The spy photos come just a day after autocar.co.uk published the first drive and a video review of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage coupe, which will cost around £135,000 in the UK.

Read Steve Sutcliffe's first drive of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage here

Watch the video of the Aston Martin V12 Vantage here

See the full gallery of Aston Martin V12 Vantage spy photos here

The V12 Vantage roadster will have an identical engine to the coupe, with the 510bhp 6.0-litre unit with 420lb ft of torque taken from the DBS.

However, performance will be slightly stunted by the need to add extra weight to stiffen the chassis once the coupe's roof has been removed. Even with the lightweight canvas hood seen in these pictures, that's likely to raise 0-62mph acceleration times from 4.2sec on the coupe to around 4.5sec for the roadster.

Likewise, top speed will fall from the coupe's 190mph, although 180mph should still be a realistic target.

Reports suggest the V12 Vantage roadster could be unveiled as soon as this year's Frankfurt motor show, going on sale in 2010.

While the V12 Vantage coupe is being limited to 1000 units, rumours already suggest that the roadster could be limited to an even smaller number. If that's the case, expect the price to soar over £150,000.

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